Start of Part Two Chapter 20 One year later in the city of Mau... Chaz walked back into the city. He had a nice hunt. He snagged some game but he gave it away. Catch his own food? The times of travel on the road was done. He was living the good life in the palace again. Chaz hopped on his dragon, Espa, that he had saved the year before and flew to the palace. Utho, Dani, and Val had their own dragons as well but after the battle at Dorte they had gone their separate ways. Dani is the champion of Prov in Cansem's arena. Utho is living at Flava, helping Josh clean that city up. Also, Val is back as guard captain in Carmyne. A year ago when Chaz went back to Mau he told the Wardens of what happened and that four Dragon Knights will reign down on them if they don't go back to their country. Chaz went to his room in the palace and settled down there. He put away his hunting gear and told Espa to check on the others. Dragons have a link. They can telepathically talk to each other no matter where they are. "There's nothing wrong with Seph, Adda, and Bjorn," Espa told Chaz. Seph was Utho's dragon. Adda was Dani's dragon. Bjorn was Val's dragon. Chaz told Espa to go to his pen in the palace. Chaz opened the lockbox under his bed to check if the Dragon Ring was there. The Dragon Ring was a very powerful artifact. There were still dragons with no riders so if Chaz found anyone worthy to be a Dragon Knight they would put it on and if a dragon wanted them, it would come. Chaz hadn't found anyone worthy yet and probably wouldn't for a long time. Chaz was tired so he went to bed. He was awoken by the sound of screaming "HELP! SOMETHING IS ATTACKING!" Chaz bolted out of bed and grabbed his sword. He sprinted into the main building to see a sleek, black, large thing that looked somewhat like a dragon although Espa would probably be insulted being compared to a creature like this. It was looking around and kicking anything out of the way. It then saw Chaz and spoke. "Dragon searcher...you will die. The Demon King, Angus, has spoken it." It lunged at Chaz and he rolled out of the way. Chaz started to shout. "ESPA! WAKE UP!" He heard a crash and then Espa tumbled into sight. Espa started to ask what was happening but his voice trailed off when he saw the creature. Espa closed his eyes and then looked up. "Did you do what I think you did?" Chaz asked. The dragon replied, "Yes. I called in backup"
Chapter 21 Utho was eating breakfast at the Flava Inn. Lord Josh gave Utho a permanent room as long as he wanted. Suddenly he heard his dragon, Seph, yell to him. "Utho! We need to fly!" Utho bolted out of the inn and hopped on Seph. "Seph! As fast as you can!" Utho yelled. Seph leaped into the air and flew towards Mau. Meanwhile at Carmyne... Val was patrolling the palace. Seeing as the guard captain had a dragon, there wasn't much crime anymore. Val turned the corner and saw Bjorn land next to him. "Bjorn! What are you doing here?" Val asked. "Chaz and Espa are in trouble! We need to fly!" Val immediately got on Bjorn and they started to fly. Now at Prov... Dani was in the middle of the battle. Dani was going to win no doubt about that but the guy was still a good opponent. She looked up to see Adda fly overhead. That only meant one thing. She needed to go. Now. Dani jumped and kicked, knocking the out. The crowd cheered and Dani sprinted off the field. Still outfitted in her armor she climbed up Adda's back and flew towards Mau. It was a short flight. She told Adda to land at the palace and saw a huge hole where the palace gates should have been. Dani then saw the creature that was tearing apart the palace. Dani grabbed a crossbow from Adda's back. She always kept spare weapons on Adda for times like this. She sprinted into the throne room and the creature turned and looked at her. Then she got her first glimpse of Chaz who jumped at the creature and slashed at it's tail. It turned it's back on Dani and tried to claw Chaz. Dani raised her crossbow and shot it. The creature turned it's head to face Dani and flames burst from it's mouth. Dani jumped out of the way and then charged the creature. It used it's tail to knock Dani to the ground and then it pinned her under it's claw. It was about to finish her off when it screamed in pain. She looked up to see Val sticking his sword in the creature's side. "Thanks!" Dani shouted to Val. Val nodded but the moment of joy was over quickly. The creature used it's claw to punch Val. Val soared across the room and hit a wall. Chaz then jumped on the creature's back and started to hack away. It then bucked Chaz off and Chaz fell into the throne which promptly broke. The creature advanced on the downed Chaz. It was about to crush Chaz when it was startled for a second. Stunned, Chaz looked behind the creature to see Utho jumping off his dragon. Chaz got up and went over to Utho along with Dani and Val. The former travelers lined up next to each other. "Just like old times, huh?" Utho said. "Yes, indeed," Val replied, " Also, I have a plan to kill this thing." Val explained the plan while the creature got ready to charge them. They nodded and charged. At the same time, Dani went to the creature's right and stabbed, Val went to the left, and Chaz slid under it and stabbed upwards. The creature roared and then Utho did his part, his shot lightning at it's open mouth. The creature's eyes rolled back and it fell to the ground dead. Everyone got up to look at the body. "What is that thing?" Chaz asked. "No idea," Utho responded, "but I know someone who does." The friends look at each other and in perfect synchrony said, "The Oracle." Meanwhile in the Demon King's chambers... Ilkar walked into the room and spoke to Angus. "It seems that our dragon searchers killed the Darkwing." "Yes. It appears I underestimated their abilities." "Well if they make it to the Oracle then they will find out about us. That can't happen." "Even if they find out about us it doesn't matter. Do you really think that four people can walk through the almost completed Portal and lay siege to Castle Valakaras? Not even the legendary heroes could do that. In the meantime, let's construct a Senzar. It will keep our new adversaries company for a while." Ilkar grinned and then said, "Of course, sir."
Chapter 22 "It seems we must once again take to the roads," Val said. "Yes. It will be quite a bit faster though," Dani said while patting Adda. The reunited friends hopped on their majestic dragons and flew towards Prov. Their dragons were tired so it took longer than it should have but they finally reached the city of the Oracle. They landed down when they heard a shout. "HEY! LOOK! IT'S CHAZ!" "Let's get out of here," Chaz whispered. "We need to see the Oracle first," Utho replied. They moved on, dodging fans. Then they reached the Temple of the Oracle. The Oracle was already waiting outside. "Welcome back," the Oracle smiled, "Please. Do come in!" The group with the addition of the Oracle sat down inside. "I see that you have had an encounter with a Darkwing," the Oracle said. "A what?" Val asked. "That creature you fought in the palace." "Oh yeah," Val responded, "Where did it come from?" "It came from the Demon city of Valakaras." Now it was Utho's to speak, "Demons? I thought those were fairy tales!" "No. They have just been away for thousands of years. Even before the Great War we fought them. They are now trapped inside their city by a misfired spell on their part. They tried to open a gate to unleash the Siege, a powerful creature. Instead it closed off their world to us. They have been trying to get out ever since. They have almost finished the Portal which will open up their world again. Seeing as it is unfinished, they can only send out small forces, like the Darkwing, but once they do finish it, the full wrath of the Demons will be unleashed." "And we're supposed to do what?" Chaz asked. "We need you to go into the Portal and close it forever," the Oracle finished. "Well... ain't that dandy. First we have to kill a 1000-year-old Darkmage and now we have to single-handedly destroy the Demons forever? I just love coming here," Utho remarked sarcastically, "Where is the Portal anyway?" "On the Sebas Bluffs. From here you would have to go through the country of Warden, walk through the Crystal Desert, and cross the Dark Sea. It will be a very long journey but from someone of your experience, it will be a walk in the park," the Oracle spoke. "Oh yeah. Piece of cake. Well let's get going. No time to waste apparently," Val said. And so, our heroes set out on a dangerous quest for one more time. Meanwhile in the Science Division of Castle Valakaras... "We the Senzar is nearly complete, Ilkar. Just a couple more parts and those heroes will good as dead," the Demon scientist told him. "Very good. Even if they killed the Darkwing, they don't stand a chance to the Senzar. Angus will be pleased."
Chapter 23 "Do we have everything we need?" Dani asked. "Well let's see...Armor, weapons, transportation..." Val started, "We can hunt our food and we don't want to be too heavy so...Let's fly, my friends." The friends took to the sky and started to fly south towards Warden, the Crystal Desert, and everything else. "When we get into Warden we should stay away from cities. They won't take too kindly to the people who ruined their perfect invasion. We can walk on roads but we'll fly over the cities. The dragons can't fly all the way to the Portal," Utho informed them. "Ok," Chaz replied, "We need to stop soon though. Espa is getting tired." "We're close to Carmyne. We can stop there for the night then fly into Warden tomorrow. After a few days in Warden we'll reach the Crystal Desert. Another thing, it will take a while to get through the desert," Val said. "Why is that?" Dani asked. "It is very hot there and the dragons can barely fly at all. Also, we'll need to watch out for the locals, Xotos. Xotos use long bows with poison-tipped arrows with we need to not be hit by, we have little medical equipment so we can only use it sparingly. "Hey! I see Carmyne!" Utho shouted. "We can stay at the inn there. Try not to be too loud guys. You people are local heroes there. Once they catch sight of you, it will be like Chaz in the city of Lady Cansem. People will go NUTS," Val chuckled. They landed and got a room at the inn. They instantly fell asleep and prepared for the journey ahead. Meanwhile in the Demon King's chambers... "Sir, the Senzar is ready," Ilkar spoke. "Is it on the road yet?" Angus asked. "Yes, sir. It is crossing the Crystal Desert as we speak. Our heroes will be disposed of and the world will be ours once again." "Good. Send a group of five Demons as well. I want to take no chances this close to the time we have been waiting for." "I'll get right on it."
Chapter 24 They awoke and started their flight into Warden. There wasn't much difference between the two countries besides location. And the fact that they hated each other. After about a half hour of flying they saw the first Warden city. They flew over but afterwards they had to land. It was high noon already and they knew that it shouldn't take more than a couple days to get out of Warden. Unless something bad happened. "We should start hunting now. Seph is getting hungry," Utho exclaimed. Val, Dani, and Chaz gave their approval and they hopped off the dragons and started off into different areas of the forest surrounding the road. They brought back a nice catch, ate, and then they hopped on the backs of their steeds while they walked. It was a lot slower than flying but it wasn't as tiring to the dragons. Then they heard a scream from the next city which wasn't too far away. "MECHA IS BEING ATTACKED BY A DEMON!" They looked at each other with wide eyes. "We need to get to Mecha. NOW," Chaz commanded, "ESPA! AS FAST AS YOU CAN!" They leaped into the air and soared across the sky. They finally got to the city of Mecha. Even from up above they could see fires scattered across the city. They also heard a voice. "YOU DARE ATTACK A DEMON? PREPARE TO DIE!" They landed close to the Demon and got their first look at it. It easily stood sixteen-feet tall. It had huge horns on it's face and it was completely red. It was covered in muscle and had swords the size of a man in each hand. It was wearing large armor. When it opened it's mouth they saw razor-sharp teeth and fire shot out. Also, it was sprouting arrows everywhere. Utho shot lightning at the Demon. It looked like Utho barely touched it. "Hit it's hands!" Val shouted, "I have a plan!" "'Course you do," Chaz muttered under his breath. Val went to his dragon and spoke to it while Dani and Chaz tried to cut at it's hands. Utho kept it under fire with his lightning. Finally, Dani got a cut through and one of the Demon's swords fell and the hand was crippled. "You hurt a Senzar Demon? You will die for that!" the Senzar shouted. The Senzar opened it's mouth and flames shot at Dani. Utho raised a magic shield to block the fire. They were now being surrounded by the Warden guards. They shot it with crossbow bolts and it looked like it was weakening. The Senzar ran over to the crossbowmen. It killed three of them with one swing and it was preparing for another swing when Utho shot it's good hand with lightning. It dropped it's second sword. Then the dragons flew towards the Senzar Demon. Espa and Bjorn bit both of the crippled the hands and didn't let go. They flew up with the Demon in their jaws. Then Seph and Adda bit it's legs. The dragons flew up with the Senzar. They kept flying until they were out of sight. Then they saw something in the sky. The dragons had dropped it. It was plummeting towards the ground when they heard a scream. "THE DEMONS WILL RISE AGAIN! YOU MEN WILL DIE!" shouted the Senzar. Meanwhile in the Demon King's chambers... "I'm sorry to report that the...Senzar has been defeated," Ilkar told Angus. There was a moment of stunned silence. "Apparently we have underestimated their cleverness," Angus said, "We have to kill them at all costs. Send a flock of Darkwings. We WILL kill them."
Chapter 25 The Senzar hit the ground. It was dead. They had killed the Demon and saved Mecha. Then the lord of Mecha stepped outside. "You killed it? We thank you, Dragon Knights," the lord said. "Just doing our job, sir," Utho replied. "And you do your job well. This brings us disturbing news as well. The Demons have returned," the lord remarked. "That's what we are doing. The Oracle sent us to destroy the Demons," Val said. The lord spoke again, "You must be suicidal. I don't care if you are Dragon Knights, four people can't kill the Demons. We need everyone. We need to gather every soldier available." "Don't you think you're overreacting?" Utho asked. "We are talking about the one true enemy of every living being. We need to destroy them," the lord said. He pointed to a soldier and started speaking again, "You. Go to Velsaguard. Get EVERYONE!" "Ok then. The more the merrier. But won't we get to the Portal before everyone else?" Dani asked. "Once you get to Bastion City. Wait. Every soldier will be meeting you there. For the good of the world, we can take no chances." "Bastion City? Where is that?" Val asked. " At the end of the Crystal Desert is the Dark Sea. Bastion City is right on the coast. It will be hard to miss." "We'll meet you there," Utho said, "Now, we must be off. Bastion City awaits." "Farewell, Dragon Knights," the lord ended. The Dragon Knights left Mecha and continued to make their way through Warden. No longer did they fly over the cities. They were honored guests. Everyone had heard what they did at Mecha and greeted them with open arms. Right as they were at the border of Warden they heard a sound. It was the sound of wings flapping and the roar of horrible creatures. They saw the Darkwings flying to them. And they looked hungry.
Chapter 26 They instantly drew their swords. There looked to be four Darkwings. Then another terrible thing happened. They saw that on the ground there were five Demons. These looked to be smaller than the Senzar but still, they were bigger than them. "Those must be normal Demons," Utho said, "That Senzar was probably a special kind of Demon." "I don't care what they are. If they're Demons of any kind I kill them," Val answered. Their dragons flew up to go fight the Darkwings and the Dragon Knights on the ground drew their swords. Utho shot lightning at one of the Demons. It raised it's arm to block but all it did was blast the arm off. The Demon glared at Utho and charged. Right before the Demon with a missing arm swung at Utho, Chaz stabbed it in the chest and it keeled over. The other Demons got out their swords and attacked. Meanwhile in the skies... Adda dropped under the blast of flame. Then he came at the Darkwing from under it and bit the wing. Adda yanked and the wing came off. The Darkwing started plummeting towards the ground. Right on top of one of the Demons. A different Darkwing bit Espa but was stopped when Espa flamed it. The Darkwing's wings were burnt to a crisp and it too, fell out of the sky. The injured Espa started to land on the ground when another Darkwing was coming right towards him. Back on the ground... Utho saw what was about to happen to Espa so he pointed his arms straight up and a pillar of blue light shot upwards. The Darkwing was going too fast and couldn't get out of the way. The Darkwing hit the pillar straight on and it was sliced in half. On the other side of the battlefield Dani was locked in battle with a Demon. It raised it's two-handed sword to strike but Dani did a quick jab right at it's chest. It dropped his sword in pain and Dani took the opportunity to make another stab. Now there were only two left. Chaz was already in battle with one. Chaz did a high swing at it's head and it ducked. It did a low kick at Chaz and Chaz fell to the ground, losing his grip on his sword. The Demon kicked Chaz's sword away and was about to finish him off when two sword tips sprouted from it's chest. The Demon fell to the ground and Dani and Val were standing over him. "Thanks," Chaz muttered. Val helped Chaz up and then said, "Come on. One more left." The last Darkwing flew towards the last Demon and the Demon hopped on. They were about to get away when Utho raised his arm, lightning shot out, and the Demons crash landed in Crystal Desert. The Dragon Knights inspected Espa's wing. It was a minor wound but Espa wouldn't fly for a while. The battle-hardened Dragon Knights continued their journey into Crystal Desert. For about an hour it was ordinary but when they went to an oasis to stop for water they found another being there. It looked human but when they got a better look they saw it was not human. It was an elf. Meanwhile in the Demon King's chambers... Angus's fists pounded the table. "HOW CAN THEY KILL ALL OF THEM? THEY'RE JUST HUMANS!" Angus yelled. "They have dragons, sir," Ilkar replied. "So? We have freaking Darkwings!" "They also have a Mage. And skill with the blade." "I don't care how good they are! I WANT THEM DEAD!" "Perhaps we should try to summon the Siege again," Ilkar said. There was a moment of silence but then Angus spoke," Now THAT, is an idea."
Chapter 27 The elf looked up and panicked. She immediately got her bow, pulled out an arrow, and aimed but didn't fire. "Who are you?" she asked. "Hi. I'm Utho. I don't want to hurt you." "Why are you humans out in the desert?" the elf asked. "We are trying to close the Demon's Portal on the Sebas Bluffs," Utho said, "But then again there's a more important question. What is an elf doing in the desert? I didn't even know elves existed outside of fairy tales." "We have just been hiding for a long time and you humans have forgotten about us. Now the reason I'm out here is that I am Sophia, princess of the elves. I am to be the next ruler of the elves and each prince or princess has to prove themselves worthy to lead. I am out here because I'm also trying to close the Portal. We could help each other." "Very well, Sophia. You have the full protection of the Dragon Knights and the rest of the humans. But there is one more thing I need to ask you," Chaz said. "What is it?" Sophia asked. "Can you ask for help from your people?" "Why should I do that?" "Because we need more help. If the battle at Mecha was anything like this coming battle, we're going to need all the help we can get." Suddenly, Sophia went down to the water's edge of the oasis. She mumbled something in a language unfamiliar to them. Then a face appeared in the water that wasn't Sophia. It started to speak. "Sophia! So glad to hear from you! Where are you?" "Hi mom. I'm in the Crystal Desert. I need to ask something only you can do." "What is it dear?" "I need the army of the elves prepared for battle. Apparently this Demon problem is larger than we thought." The princess's mother who was obviously the Queen paused for a moment then spoke again, "Well. If we must. If these Demons need to be taken care of then we will take care of them. Is that a human in the behind you?" "Yes it is. Say hi, Dragon Knights." Dani, Val, Utho, and Chaz got up to the water. "Hello, Queen. I am Utho the Dragon Knight. We are also trying to close the Portal. When we came to the Warden city of Mecha, it was under attack by a Demon. After we defeated it the lord of the city told that we'd need everyone if we're going to stop the Demons. I don't know what Sophia was doing trying to do it alone but we're going to need everyone. Almost every human soldier is going to the Portal and we would like to have some insurance that we'll win. The Demons are the only thing standing in the way of eternal peace. I want your help. No, we need your help." "If we must, human. I'll prepare the army." Then the face of the Queen faded away. Everyone got ready to move on towards Bastion City and Sophia the elf spoke again. "Everyone is coming?" "Yep. If the lord of Mecha got the word out. We'll be meeting at Bastion City. So, everyone ready? Val? Chaz? Dani?" Utho asked. "Ready, Utho," Chaz answered. "Me too," Val said. There was silence. "Dani?" Utho asked. Then they looked where Dani was standing and instead saw a message in the sand. Go to Soul Cavern. Bring Utho. We can make a trade. -XL007
Chapter 28 "XL007? I'm starting to really hate him," Utho said seething. "Why do you suppose he asked for you, Utho? You weren't even at the fight," Val asked. Chaz cut in, "Because Utho was the one that led us to him. Remember the blue footprints we followed to find him in Dream Cave? I'm guessing XL007 found out about those and has hated him for spoiling his plot." "Let's go to Soul Cavern. I don't want to leave Dani with that thug for any longer than I have to." After a bit of grumbling, Adda agreed to let Sophia ride him. They got on their dragons and started to run. After about a thirty minute sprint they saw a man in the desert sand. He was saying something but it was in a different language. The Dragon Knights stopped next to him and five more guys popped out of the sand. They were holding bows and looked like they knew how to use them. These must be the locals, Xotos. One of the Xotos spoke their language. "Why do you trespass on Xoto ground?" he questioned. "We are just going to Soul Cavern," Val answered. "Why?" "One of our friends has been kidnapped by a criminal. We are going to rescue her," Val replied. "Kidnapped? If that is so, we could help each other." "Well, first thing. What is your name and what do you want in return?" "My name is Sebas, named after the Sebas Bluffs on the other side of the Dark Sea. What I want is a single dragon scale," Sebas said. "Bjorn? Can the nice man have one of your scales?" Val asked. "Yes. Val get off me for a second," Bjorn answered. Val got off then Bjorn shook himself. Many more than one scale fell off. Sebas's eyes widened. "You are generous, dragon. You Dragon Knights have the full help of the Xoto people. I need to call a meeting of all the people to get ready for battle. Come with me. You should rest for a while and get ready." The Dragon Knights along with Sophia followed Sebas to his village. Almost everyone that could pick up a sword fought. Only kids and the elderly didn't come with them. It was a nice place, that village. Everyone did their part and no one slacked off. The Xotos didn't use armor. They just use a thick leather so they could move fast instead of the big armor. "You should keep your armor here. We can give you our gear," Sebas told them. "Why?" Val asked. "First off, that huge armor is gonna kill you in Soul Cavern. There are all kinds of sharp turns and you have to be fast to fight in there. Second, if you use your armor much longer you will start to burn in the desert heat." "Ok then. So you're going to give us something?" Val asked. "Seeing as your dragon was so kind as to let have so many scales, which we can use for healing, we can spare some things. Here, come with me." They followed Sebas into a shop of sorts and met a person in there. There were sets of the leather armor hanging up on the walls and swords on the tables. It was a much bigger place than much of the Xoto buildings but Chaz supposed it was most likely the most important building in the village. "So you wanna get some armor for our Velsaguard friends? And an elf," the blacksmith asked but it was more of a statement than a question, "Very well. I have many sizes for you to pick from. They spent the next twenty minutes trying out sizes to see which would fit. When they all got a good set they all thought it was very comfortable for armor and they could move a lot faster than when they had their steel armor. They finally stepped back outside of the shop and moved around a bit. "I like this," Utho said while doing some stretches, "I couldn't do this in my old armor." "Yeah well let's get moving. Dani still needs us," Chaz said. The Dragon Knights along with Sophia and the Xotos headed out of the village and towards Soul Cave.
*Note: This is Utho's alt* Chapter 29 While they were riding a thought came to Chaz. He pulled out the Dragon Ring and said, "Sophia can you come over here for a second?" he asked. "Yeah. Sure," she responded. Sophia jumped off of Adda and went over to Chaz who was holding something in his hands. "Put this on," Chaz commanded. Sophia slid the ring on. "So what is this supposed to do?" she asked. "Just wait." After five minutes she pulled the ring off. "I don't know what that is supposed to do but it's not working." Then the quiet mood was interrupted by the sound of a dragon's roar. A sleek, red dragon flew up to the elf princess. The dragon spoke, "My name is Ash. At your service." Sophia chuckled and said, "I get a dragon? That's so cool!" "Now come on, we have a gal to save." When Chaz and Sophia got on their dragons a particularly happy Xoto rode up to Utho. "You're a Mage! That's awesome!" the Xoto exclaimed. He looked to be somewhere around sixteen. When Utho first looked at the boy he knew there was something different about him. He just couldn't put his finger to it. "Yes I am," Utho responded, "What's your name, kid?" "My name is Mosh. Utho, right?" Mosh asked. "Yes it is. Ready for this battle?" "Ready as I'll ever be." "Hey. I need to talk to Sebas," Utho finished. Utho rode over to Sebas. "What we should do is we'll make the trade, seeing as I'm a little more handy without a blade than Dani and then tomorrow, you attack," Utho said. "Ok then. We should camp here and then you and Sophia can make the trade." Sebas and the Xotos and Chaz and Val made camp there while Utho and Sophia rode on. "So we're trading you for Dani?" the elf asked. "That's the plan. Partially because I'm a Mage and partially because I have experience with being kidnapped and beaten." Sophia looked stunned and then began to speak but was cut off. "That story is for another time," Utho said, "Look, we're here." The two rode on into Soul Cavern. The minute they stepped in they knew something was wrong. Then they heard the click of crossbows being loaded. "Welcome, Utho," said XL007. Then one of his guys came up to them. Except Utho knew they weren't men. They were Hollows. Someone living in this cavern was a good Mage or Darkmage. Utho had one last thought before they knocked Sophia and him out. Utho figured out the thing that puzzled him about Mosh. Mosh was just like Utho. He could be a Mage.
Chapter 30 Chaz had been waiting for an hour. Ash, Adda, and Seph were terrified about what could have happened to their riders. "I don't think the discussion went to plan, Sebas," Chaz told him. "Yeah. They've probably been taken. EVERYONE PREPARE FOR BATTLE!" All of the Xotos woke up and armed themselves. They all seemed like they knew what they were doing. Years of fighting in the desert has probably toughened them up. They used smaller, lightweight swords. Every fifth person held a torch because inside of Soul Cavern was dark. Meanwhile in the cavern... Utho was tied to a chair. Five men with crossbows were aimed right at him. "I must be dangerous," Utho murmured to himself. Then a man with a long robe came through the door of the room and walked over to him. He had the same feeling that he had with Mosh except this was more nauseating. He must be a Darkmage. "Hello, Utho," the Darkmage said. "Who are you?" Utho asked. "I am the world's greatest Necromancer. I am the Lord Of Souls." He paused for a couple seconds. "Is that important?" Utho whispered. The Lord Of Souls struck him across the face. "I guess it is. What do you want? If you're going to kill me then just get it over with," Utho said. Meanwhile in the other room... Sophia spoke to her guard, "I need to go." "Fine," the guard replied, "Don't take too long." The guard walked over and untied her hands. Apparently he didn't think she was much of a fighter. He was wrong. He stepped back and let her get up. She dove forward and grabbed the man's sword from it's sheath. She quickly stabbed him. She did it without making a sound. Sophia picked up the sword and walked out. She saw a guard to her right and quickly cut him down. Then she heard noises. The Xotos were coming. She had to move fast if she was going to save Dani before backup came to guard the prisoners. Utho was going to have to hold out for a while. There was a guard stationed outside Dani's room. She walked by him and then the guard had a puzzled look on his face. "You! Don't move any-ACK!" The guard crumpled in pain on the ground. Sophia opened the door of Dani's room. A guard looked at her. Before he could say anything Sophia yelled. "XL007 needs you over in the front of the cavern! The Xotos are coming!" The guard hastily moved out of the room and Sophia went to untie Dani. "Who are you..." Dani mumbled. "I'm Sophia, princess of the elves. Here to save you." Dani got up and retrieved the guard's sword. "Let's go get Utho," Sophia said. "Utho's here? Wasn't I supposed to be traded for him?" "Let's just say things didn't go according to plan. The Xotos and Chaz and Val are coming through. Another thing, Utho will have a bit tighter security." Meanwhile in the Xoto charge line... Val and Chaz were in front. Their main goal was to get the girls out safe and sound. Then Val looked over to a room to the right. There was Dani and Sophia. Where was Utho? Then the Xotos were met with the swords of more of XL007's henchmen. Chaz and Val cut down many of them and fought their way through. They saw a man with black robes leaving a room. That must Utho's room. He looked at them and started to run. "Oh no you don't," Val said. Val and Chaz sprinted after him. Knights started to form in front of them. Blocking their way. Val and Chaz cut them down quickly. Chaz knew from experience what they were. The runner was summoning Hollows. He must be a powerful Mage. Chaz got in sight of the runner again. He hefted his sword above his head and threw it. The runner was struck in the thigh and he went down. They ran over to the fallen man. "Who are you?" Val asked. "I am the Lord Of Souls. I own this cavern." "Is Utho inside there?" "Yes. And a bit bruised as well." "Call off the guards in there." "Why?" "We'll kill you." "You're a bad negotiator but fine. Will you let me go if I do that?" "We can do better. If you call off the guards in there and then after this battle you help us kill the Demons, you're free to go." "Fine." The Darkmage walked into the room and then five crossbowmen walked out along with him. Chaz and Val went in there. "Why do I always get hit?" Utho asked. "I don't know. Well we're here to rescue you," Chaz told him. "I didn't need rescuing," Utho replied. "Ok then. We'll leave you here. Bye Utho!" Chaz exclaimed while walking away. Utho blasted the rope off. "It was a joke. Thanks guys," Utho said, "Now I'm going to go deal with a special someone and then talk to a certain Xoto." Utho walked away from them. He looked around for a while and then saw a man in a rush to leave. "Going somewhere?" Utho asked. The man turned around. XL007 didn't look as menacing up close. He was silent and shaking. "You've been a bit of a pest. And I exterminate pests." The criminal mastermind just stood there. "Good bye." Utho raised his arms...and fired.
Chapter 31 Utho walked out of the cavern. There were still some guys cleaning up in there so the place was still lit up with torches. Utho saw Mosh cleaning the blood from battle off of his sword. He looked up. "Hey, Utho. Glad to see you're okay," Mosh said. "I'm more glad to see you okay. Come with me," Utho told him. They started to walk towards Seph. "Mosh, when I first met you I knew there was something special about you." "What's so special about me? I grew up in the my village. I'm not the son of the chief or a mighty warrior." "It's not about what you are or what you have been, it is about what you can become." "And what is that?" "If you wish, and get your parents approval, you can come with me to train to be a Mage." "I thought only some people could be Mages." "And you are one of those special people. Mosh, you have the gift. I'll show you a little something you can do to practice." After Utho spoke he opened his hand and sparks of fire danced across his fingers without a burn. "You can do that. Try it. The first step to becoming a powerful Mage is to know that you can become a powerful Mage. After that it is just practice." Mosh closed his eyes and imagined what he could do. When he opened his eyes he saw a flame in his hand. It went away shortly. "Now all you need is practice," Utho said. Meanwhile with Chaz and Dani... They were inside one of the Xoto's tents that they had set up. Chaz spoke to Dani, "As I was saying-" Sebas walked in. "Sorry to interrupt but I have something I would like to say. I want to come with you." "That'd be great. We need all the help we can get. Also, there is something I should have you do," Chaz replied while pulling out the Dragon Ring, "Put this on." Sebas put the Dragon Ring on. "What now?" "Wait. This may take a while" Slowly but surely, a dragon came. It was green and smaller than the others. It landed next to him. "Hello, Sebas. My name is Ecstasy. Ready to fly, sir." Sebas's face lit up. He was speechless. "Get ready to fly with us Sebas. Fellow Dragon Knight." Utho and Mosh walked in the tent. "Chaz, can I borrow that Dragon Ring?" Utho asked. Chaz handed it to Utho and Utho gave it to Mosh who was still practicing his magic. "Put this on Mosh." Utho commanded. Mosh dismissed his small flame and slid the ring on his finger. After a few minutes a big, black dragon floated down to them. "I am Dark Falcon. At your command," the dragon said sternly. "Ok. I believe it is time to be off. The Demons are still out there," Utho announced. They said their goodbyes and the Dragon Knights, with two new members, set off towards Bastion City. Meanwhile in the Demon King's chambers... "Our puppet XL007 has been killed and the Dragon Knights along with every soldier outside the Portal are about to assault us," Ilkar informed Angus. "It seems the battle has come to us. This is unfortunate but still stoppable. If we win here. We control everything. This coming battle decides the fate of the world." "And we will win. The Siege has been summoned. Shall we send it out?" Ilkar asked. "No. We will keep it here. It will be a nice welcoming party."
Chapter 32 After about a half hour of flying, the dragons got tired. The heat fatigued them fast. They walked for a little bit until they saw a shape in the desert. When they got a little bit closer they saw that it was red and had horns. They jumped off their dragons and sprinted over to it. They looked at it closer. It had whip marks and on it's chest it had a word and a number branded on it. Traitor 4920 Dani looked at Val. They were both thinking the same thing. If this Demon is a traitor then it could help them out. Utho pulled out his canteen and dripped water into it's mouth. They saw the Demon's eyes steadily open. He finally was aware of what was going on. He sat up slowly. The Demon was very weak they could tell. "Are you the Dragon Knights?" 4920 asked. "Yes we are," Chaz answered, "I have a couple of questions for you. Could you answer them for us?" "I'll try my best." "Ok. First question, why do you have Traitor 4920 branded on your chest?" Chaz asked. "I betrayed my race. I did not want my brethren to take you over. I have seen what they can do. With the Siege summoned now you humans and elves wouldn't stand a chance." "What is the number for?" Mosh inquired. "When my people declare someone a traitor they take away everything from you. I do not have a name anymore. They just gave me a number." "What is your real name?" Dani asked. "Terrinak. After my father," he answered. "Ok, Terrinak. Just a one more questions," Chaz said, "What is the Siege?" "I suppose you should ask that. The Siege is a creature made from magic and iron. It stands about three houses tall and can shoot beams of fire from it's large hands. It looks like a Demon. In the center of it is what we call the Fire Heart. When a chosen Demon steps inside of it they can control it. The one problem is that you can never leave it because the Fire Heart burns away your body, leaving only your soul. My guess is that our ruler, Angus, will control it. The moment you step through the Portal he will blast you to bits." "Can someone else take control of the Siege? Like a human or elf?" Utho asked. "Yes but they would have to fight the current controller and fighting the Demon King is probably not high on anyone's to-do list. I do have one more thing to say. The only reason that the Demons are connected to your world at all is because of the Ekin Stone. It is a stone made of magic that is always anchored in your world. Mages of old used it to travel into different worlds to find advancements. Did you know that humans didn't know how to use or make bows until they went to another world? Well anyway, the Demons stole it and good for them because when the spell to summon the Siege long ago backfired, they would have been completely cut off from you." "So if we destroy the Ekin Stone..." Chaz started. "Then us Demons will be of no danger to you humans anymore," Terrinak finished. "Thank you, Terrinak. You don't know how much of a help this is," Utho said. "I can help you in the attack. I know my way around Castle Valakaras." "Thank you. Now you should get some rest. From the bruises on your body you look like you need it," Sophia said. The Demon traitor closed his eyes. Then Sebas spoke, "Well this looks like a good place to camp as anywhere. We along with Terrinak can make it to Bastion City by tomorrow." "Before we go I would like to say something to Dani, Val, and Chaz, " Utho announced," This may be our last fight together. I want you to know that it has been a great journey knowing you guys. Now let's get some sleep. Bastion City is waiting for us in the morning."
Chapter 33 They reached Bastion City by afternoon of the next day. Someone was there to greet them. "Hello Dragon Knights. I am General Fish," the man said. "So you're the leader of all our armies?" "Yes I am. I was a war hero for the Warden a year ago. That career ended though thanks to you but now I'm back in business. For a better cause this time." "How many more guys are here?" Val asked. "Just some mercenaries that worked for free this time. Apparently the fate of the world resting on their shoulders is not a time to have a price. The organized armies will be here later. May take a couple weeks for everyone to get here." "Well the Demons are not going anywhere just yet so we can wait. Also we have a friend that may stand out a bit. Terrinak you can come out now." The Demon took off his hood and Fish drew his sword. "It's ok. He's with us," Val said. "Oh. You guys can stay at the inn until the rest of the guys get here. May take a while so make yourselves at home. You can check out the boats that will take us to the bluffs." "Boats?" Dani asked. "How do think we'll cross the Dark Sea? Swim?" Fish stated. "That's what I did," Terrinak mumbled. "Ok then let's head to the inn guys," Utho said. Days were boring with nothing to do. No fights going on or things to save. The only thing exciting was that Mosh was getting better at his magic daily. Every day more soldiers rode in. Starting with the Warden cities and then Velsaguard. Chaz reunited with his dad once more who was the leader of the Velsaguard armies. Then the troops stopped coming for a couple days. They were about to set sail when a horn was blown. The elves had arrived. They were a majestic lot. They had interesting mounts. Val's eyes widened when he saw the mounts. They were the bear-lion-snake creature that attacked them when they were riding to Flava. Val asked Sophie about them and she told him that they were called Berlaks. Apparently the one that attacked them was a feral one. Sophia greeted her parents and they talked a bit. Then the Queen of the Elves talked about strategy with Fish. Two days later everyone was ready. There were about thirty large ships prepared to cross the sea. The Dragon Knights along with Terrinak and Fish boarded one of them and set sail. Val did not look too good. "Are you seasick, Val?" Utho asked. "No. I'm quite fine," he replied. "Well hang in there," Utho said while patting his back. Then Val threw up over the deck. "That's just gross man," Utho said. The rest of the three day journey went without much more excitement. Finally, they saw land. And the Portal. The Portal was a feature by itself. It stood about a hundred meters tall, somewhere around fifty meters across, but it was only about three inches deep. The outside of it was cracked stone with some letters of a language they had never seen before. The middle of it was a like fire but it was only as big and wide as the Portal itself. "I suppose we're able to go through that?" Sebas asked Terrinak. "The fire doesn't burn you. If it did, there would be no reason to make a Portal you can't go through." "Are we all ready?" Fish shouted. After a chorus of whoops and "yes" Fish and all the soldiers among him ran through the Portal. Then the Dragon Knights walked up to it. "Prepare for the fight of our lives," Chaz said. "No time like the present. Let's go Dragon Knights," Utho said. And with that, they stepped through the Portal. End of Part Two
Part Three Chapter 34 The moment they stepped through the battle had already started. Even from here they could see the Siege. It was huge, needless to say. The Senzar Demon was like a baby compared to this massive monster. It turned towards them. It launched a pillar of fire at them and they all jumped out of the way. The Dragon Knights and their dragons along with Terrinak ran inside a building. "Utho, I need to tell you something that could turn the tide of the battle," Seph said. "What? I need to know anything that can help us," Utho replied. "There is one spell that all Dragon Knights can cast. It also cannot be reversed. It is called the Merge." "What's the Merge?" There sounds of swords clashing in the background and the footsteps of the Siege thundered. "It is when a dragon and the knight merge to form one powerful being. The Merged Dragon Knight has body of a man but it is a bit bigger. It has half skin and half scales and also has wings. They have the eyes of a dragon and both minds are there so we communicate telepathically." "Why haven't you told us this earlier?" Utho demanded, "It could have helped." "Well I didn't think you all were ready. And I wasn't ready to give up my body just yet." "I understand. Well can you do the Merge now?" "Yes. Everyone put your hand on your dragon." They did what they were told and then all the dragons started to chant in some language. After about a minute they could start to feel a tingling. Another five minutes passed then they went unconscious for another few minutes. Then they all woke up. They looked at each other. They were now a little bigger than even Terrinak. They could see a lot better. It was like they had been looking through a dirty window their entire lives and it just got cleaned. "Woah," Dani muttered. "This is cool," Mosh said. "Ok. We can spend the rest of the battle looking at ourselves or we could go save the world," Val stated, "Let's go." They all picked up their swords, which now felt like toys in their hands. They stepped out of the building to see that the battle was not going too well. The Demons were just too strong but now they'll have some help. The Merged Dragon Knights stepped out onto the battlefield. Utho launched a fireball at a Demon. The Demon flew back a couple feet and was almost completely turned to ash. "Even my magic is stronger," Utho said to himself. Val charged two Demons and stabbed one, ducked under the second one's sword, and sliced the second one in the chest. Then he turned and saw another one coming. Val jumped up into the air and hovered there for a bit while the Demon went under him. He fell, sword first, on the Demon. The battle was going the same way for the rest of the Merged Dragon Knights. They were doing better than they ever had before. Terrinak went up to Utho who was blasting away some Demons. "Any of your soldiers can kill the small ones. We need to get the important things like killing Ilkar!" Terrinak shouted over the sounds of battle. "Ok! Let's get the others!" Utho shouted back. Utho flew up high to get a better view of the battlefield. He could see the Siege, killing many of the men. He then saw Mosh and Sebas fighting close to him so he flew above them and told them to come with him. Val and Dani and behind you That was Seph's voice Utho knew but he just heard it in his head. It must be one of the affects of the Merge. He turned around to see Dani and Val fighting back to back against a horde of the Demons. He signaled for them to come and got Sophia and Chaz too. They flew over to the Demon Castle of Valakaras. The feeling of flying was amazing for all of them but they couldn't take a break from battle for personal joys. There was a balcony on the top floor which they all landed on. They peered inside the castle to see the Demon King's assistant, Ilkar. Terrinak saw Ilkar. Then he saw what was holding. "He has the Ekin Stone!" Terrinak shouted, "Get him!" Ilkar, startled, looked up to see them standing there and bolted out of the room carrying the Ekin Stone. The Merged Dragon Knights and Terrinak chased after the fleeing Demon. Ilkar yelled for guards and some Demons came around a corner that Ilkar turned. Utho shot them out of the way. They were still running through the castle when a hole suddenly appeared in the wall. The Siege pulled his hand out of the wall and punched again. This time, Val got knocked down and he fell through the hole. Plummeting towards the ground. The last thing they saw of him was that opened his wings and shouted. "Keep going! I'll catch up to you later." They kept running and then they came to descending stairs. They saw Ilkar dropping through the middle of the stairs and using his wings to slow the fall. They followed his example and dropped through the middle as well. They saw Ilkar stop a after a few more floors. They started to flap so they also could reach that floor without breaking anything. They saw Ilkar turn and look to see them still on his tail. Utho threw a fireball at Ilkar that jumped up and dodged it but was hit by Mosh's fire. The Ekin Stone fell out of his hands. Chaz was about to grab it when the Siege kicked another hole through the wall. Three of the Senzar Demons walked in through the hole and attacked. Utho and Mosh blasted one with lightning, Chaz and Sophia fought one, and Sebas and Dani handled the last one. It was a much quicker fight than at Mecha. Sebas was about to finish off the last one when suddenly twenty Demons were surrounding them and Ilkar was about twenty feet away holding the Ekin Stone in one hand and a loaded crossbow in the other. The Siege's hand was sticking through the hole he'd made. "Finish them, Angus," Ilkar stated with grim smile of victory on his face. "With pleasure," said a loud voice. That must be Angus. The hand started to glow. Sebas killed the Senzar as a last thing before he died. It looked like it was about to shoot when they saw Val fly into the Fire Heart. The Siege abruptly stopped glowing. "Very well. Looks like I'll have to finish you myself," Ilkar said displeased, "Attack!" The twenty surrounding Demons charged them. They all flew up to dodge the chargers. "Get the Stone!" Utho shouted. Ilkar's eyes widened and before he started to run again. He blindly shot the crossbow. It hit Sebas's wing and Sebas fell into the crowd of Demons. "Get Ilkar!" Those were the last words Sebas would speak. "NO!" Mosh screamed. Mosh raised his arms and a blue light shot from his hands. It killed eight of them and then the rest of them started to chase the Dragon Knights. They saw Ilkar getting away again and then the chase was on again. They chased Ilkar through the castle with Demons on their tail. They ran for ten minutes until Ilkar was backed into a dead end. Ilkar smiled and raised his arms. A pillar of red shot from his hands and Utho brought his pillar of blue up to block. Mosh helped but Ilkar was too strong. They were about to be overwhelmed when the Siege punched a hole in the wall where Ilkar was. The Ekin Stone fell out of his hands and Ilkar was crushed. Then they heard a voice. Val's voice. "I save the day?" he shouted. Val's voice was coming from inside the Siege. Val saw the surprise on their faces. "Well looks like I'm stuck in the Siege forever but I think saving the world was worth it," Val said. "Thank you, Val," Utho responded, "Now for the grand finale." Utho picked up the Ekin Stone and started to drain energy from the Ekin Stone. The second Utho started to drain the Stone they heard things start to crash and tiny holes started to appear in the ground. "Can't we just smash it?" Chaz asked. "I wish we could, trust me. If we smashed it then it would just make a hundred little Ekin Stones. No, I have to suck all the energy out of it," Utho explained then paused for a moment, "Oh no." "What's the matter?" Sophia asked. "The Demons cast a spell on the Stone. The Ekin Stone can't leave the castle or it will be destroyed." "Isn't that good?" Sophia asked. Then her face went dark with realization. "If I leave the Castle with it then the Portal will close with all of us inside. Start evacuation. I'll continue draining the Stone," Utho commanded. "How are you going to get out?" Mosh asked. Utho was silent for a moment, "I won't. Mosh, you'll have to continue the way of the Mages. You need to get out for I won't. The fate of magic is depending on you getting out. Now Val, talk to Fish. Tell him to get everyone out. This place is going to be gone in a matter of minutes." "Ok. It's been nice knowing you Utho," Val said. "You too." With that, the remaining Dragon Knights and Terrinak started to flee. They cut down Demons in the way and told any humans and elves to get out. Buildings were randomly collapsing around them and sometimes holes appeared in the ground. This place was, bit by bit, being erased from the world. They saw soldiers going back through the Portal. Val, in the Siege, went through the Portal as well. Finally, the Dragon Knights got to the Portal. They turned around to see no men or elves. At least, none that are living. The Demons were charging in one last ditch effort to kill them. Chaz, Sophia, Dani and Mosh dove through the Portal. They landed back on the Sebas Bluffs. They turned around and looked to see the Portal crumble and the rest of the Demons, finally destroyed. Once and for all. Epilogue Three weeks later... Chaz, Mosh, Dani, and Sophia were all gathered around the table at the Mau Inn. They all laughed at one of Mosh's stories from the Xoto Village. Everything had changed since they had beaten the Demons. They were heroes among the land. People saw them and knew exactly who they were. People knew that the Dragon Knights had destroyed the only evil to the world. Soldiers and mercenaries laid down their weapons for there would be no more need for them. Val, ever so diligent, patrolled the land looking for any Demons that had escaped. He had found none so far and hopefully, never will. Chaz got up from the table. "Well that was great guys. I need to go now," he informed them. "See ya later, Chaz," Dani replied. Chaz left the inn and then flew up to his room in the palace. Chaz had been thinking about one thing for a while and finally decided to do it. The people knew that the Dragon Knights had saved the world but they did not know what they had to do. They did not know the hardships, the battles, and the sacrifice that had to happen in order for good to prevail. So Chaz sat down at his desk in his room, picked up a writing feather, dipped it in ink, and began to write. He started like this: Utho walked into the inn... But of course, you know the rest of the story. The End
Secret Chapter 35 (this is just for people who cared enough to open it! Keep this secret) Utho sat on the throne in the Demon King's chambers. Ever since everyone left he'd been mostly alone except for talking with Seph in his mind. Half of the world was destroyed. He wondered if he'd ever use the tiny shard of Ekin Stone he chipped off. Who knows? Maybe he'd make another Portal. But why should he? He was fine here. Fine being the new Demon King.